To the Editor:
This is in response to the article “Walmart customer sues for $1 million following ‘black people’ announcement,” on May 16:
I can’t even put into words how upsetting this lawsuit against Walmart makes me. It’s frivolous, and sets a bad precedent to even take a suit like this to court.
If plaintiff Donnell Battie wants to make a statement, then he should have the 16-year-old jerk who made the racial announcement in 2010 (“... all black people must leave the store”) charged with a hate crime, especially since it was not the first time the 16-year-old had done something like this.
Forget charging him as a juvenile, forget charging him with harassment and racial intimidation, neither of which carry any weight or suitable punishment, but send out a message using “anti-bullying” legislation and charge him with a hate crime.
Battie’s attorney claims that Battie has been “subject to racial discrimination in various forms by various entities.”
What, none of the previous incidents or parties had a big enough checkbook?
This lawsuit sets an example that screams “payday.” You don’t deserve to win a monetary lottery because someone offended you. Just ask the counter personnel at McDonald’s if you want to hear some harrowing stories of hurt feelings.
This is not what the next generation needs to see as an example. It’s messed up, I know, but I certainly don’t think the plaintiff deserves money because some punk acted like an idiot. Take it up with the punk, not Walmart.
Keep in mind, if Walmart settles the lawsuit, the cost will be passed on to everyone else who may never have had a bad word to say about Battie. But if he gets a check from Walmart, working folks will have plenty to say about him.